


This Feeling

by Christarmewn



Series: Jirachi's Twin | BONUS STORIES (btyu & others ♥) [6]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Denial of Feelings, Embarrassment, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Fear, Feelings Realization, Hugging, Idiots in Love, Insomnia, Minor Teasing, Unintentional flirting, Unofficial First Date, horror movie, staying up late
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:55:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29717508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Christarmewn/pseuds/Christarmewn
Summary: For whatever reason, Gloria suddenly invites Bede to go to the movie theater together. Flustered, seeing as how her invite sounds suspiciously like a date, Bede decides to go with her—but discovers quickly that Gloria chose a horror movie. Seeing as how both of them turn out to be chickens, they resume their date elsewhere... but during that time, Bede realizes something.Something that completely changes his view of Gloria.
Relationships: Beet | Bede & Yuuri | Gloria, Beet | Bede/Yuuri | Gloria
Series: Jirachi's Twin | BONUS STORIES (btyu & others ♥) [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2095947
Kudos: 5





	This Feeling

Jirachi's Twin Timeline: (Present → Past)

  * **Jirachi's Twin Main Story**
  * Thanksgiving SP | You Are Precious
  * "Types"
  * **This Feeling** _(you are here)_
  * Charm and Intellect
  * Viral Sensation
  * Tear me to Pieces 
  * **Consider a Friend**
    * Christmas SP | Breaking the Ice (between pt. 1 & 2)



*Bold is a crucial chapter, indented bullet is nested within above chapter, italics is current location

* * *

Bede was waiting quietly outside of the local Hammerlocke theater. His mind was buzzing, and with every passing minute he could feel his hands getting clammier and clammier.

 _I don’t get it,_ he wondered for the millionth time as he absently scrolled through his social media, _Why on earth would Gloria of all people, suddenly ask me to go to the movies with her? I just can’t figure it out for the life of me._

A day prior, he’d received a text from Gloria asking if he was free next Friday. He told her he was, and she responded promptly, declaring that there was a particular movie she wanted to watch. When he asked her why she was inviting him, she left him on “read”. Ever since that day, his curiosity had been eating away at him like acid.

For the next hour, Bede had kept the city corner in his peripheral. He was sure Gloria would come from that direction, and was intent on catching her before she had the chance to sneak up on him. Many blurry figures passed him over the span of the hour he was waiting, until a text suddenly popped up in his notifications.

**(Champion) Gloria Verity**

**Friday, Sept 24 6:22 PM**

**I’m here**

He looked up at the corner. Just as he’d suspected, his eyes landed instantly on Gloria’s familiar form. She was wearing a cute pink blouse, and a pair of blue jeans. Around her neck, was a fluffy pink scarf which he’d seen her wear on many occasions, and on her head was a white, knitted beanie.

She looked a little more timid than usual—her feet shuffling rather than striding as she approached him. Her cheeks were also slightly pink, and her hands were stuffed firmly into her front pockets. She looked horribly anxious.

“Hi,” Bede greeted casually, returning his phone to his back pocket, “Are you um… prepared, I guess?”

_Dang it that was such a clumsy greeting…_

“Yes,” she nodded, her eyes a bit too wide as she pulled out two tickets. She sheepishly handed one to Bede, her fingers releasing it quickly as if it were poisonous, “U-um let’s go ahead and get in before it starts.”

She had yet to smile—which was unusual for her. For a moment, he considered she was nervous about their activity together. Perhaps she considered their meet-up as a date?

Bede swallowed hard, cursing himself for even considering that possibility.

“Hey Gloria—” he asked, holding the door open for her, “Why’re you so anxious? Is something on your mind?”

She blinked at him, looked quietly off to the side, and chewed her lip.

“No—of course not. I just thought we could—yanno… hang out and stuff,” she smiled a tiny bit, “I’m not anxious at all. If anything it’s easier to stay _calm_ whenever you’re with me. I’ve just got something else on my mind… that’s all.”

Bede almost asked, but out of politeness, he held his tongue.

The two friends entered the line side-by-side. As they slowly stepped closer and closer, Bede caught glances with a few strangers. Suddenly it occurred to him that to everyone watching, it looked like they were on a date.

The fairy gym leader with the champion. What a sight to behold…

He coughed.

“W-what movie are we watching?” he piped up suddenly, distracting himself from his own fantasies.

“The new one everyone’s raving about. You know… Heart of the Haunt?”

Bede’s skin went pale instantly. He knew the title all too well from the countless trailers he’d seen on TV. It was a popular horror film that had come out a few weeks ago, and _everyone_ was talking about it—except for him.

He hated horror with a burning passion. Just watching the teasers was enough to seize him with fear once nighttime came and he had to go to bed. He couldn’t understand how anyone found enjoyment in being terrified out of their wit’s end—later kneeling in the fetal position on the bathroom floor because there were a pair of golden eyes most undoubtedly waiting just beyond the wooden door. He couldn’t understand how these crazy adrenaline junkies could sleep at night when even the slightest twitch of a vent or floorboard was enough to make him willingly duck under the covers and almost suffocate.

Not that he spoke from experience.

It was just irrational. Stupid, even—how people entertained the idea of fear, as a suitable evening activity.

“Heart of the Haunt… isn’t that a horror movie?” Bede finally responded, certainly not trembling already at the thought of jumpscares and jagged teeth.

“Yeah, it is. My friends kept talking about it, so I thought I’d invite someone to come watch it with me.”

He tried hard to smile—happy she chose him over her other friends, but he was too busy panicking as they stepped closer and closer to his impending doom.

“Oh. Yeah—it’s annoying when people talk about something that only _you_ haven’t seen. It’s like you’re suddenly invisible.”

“Yeah…” she smiled, glad he could relate, “Have you seen this movie before?”

“Heavens no!” he shouted.

Gloria blinked at him, a little shocked by his sudden falsetto, and he coughed into his fist nervously.

“I-I mean—I haven’t seen it yet. It looks good,” he lied.

“Oh. Then I guess it’ll be a first for both of us then.”

_Regrettably, yes it will._

“Um… so—do you enjoy horror then?”

She turned quickly, her eyes staring silently into his as she formed a response.

“Well, I—”

“Tickets please!” it was their turn in line to get their tickets punched.

“Right—here you go, sir,” Gloria handed the man both of the tickets, and he punched them with a hole puncher. When he verified them, he returned their tickets back to them, and directed their attention to an adjacent hall.

The hall was lined with doors, overhead each one a picture of the movie’s box art. On the left, door B2, was a render of Heart of the Haunt, and in large, bold letters, the language: GALARIAN.

For a moment, the two just stared at the door. Bede’s knees were already shaking with fear, and he could do nothing to stop them. Gloria, though not shaking from what he could tell, looked quite pale as she stared at the box art.

“Having second thoughts?” he asked, secretly hoping she’d say “yes” and get them the heck out of there.

“N-no!” she stuttered bravely, pursing her lips as she pumped her fists, “Let’s do this!”

Gloria grabbed his arm and dragged him inside before he could make up an excuse to get them to leave. Though the grip on his wrist would normally excite him a bit, this time, it felt like he was being led to a guillotine. His heart was pumped with terror—not a fluttery joy (which he still couldn’t figure out why it would happen to him) as she dragged him up the ramp towards the rows of seats. The room was full of couples, all eagerly ready to let their sanity be ripped out of their mortal bodies as they screamed their souls to nonexistence.

Or at least—that’s what he thought.

“Here it is!” Gloria whispered, plopping the two of them down in their assigned spots, “Thank goodness we got here before it started, right?”

“Oh _absolutely_.”

_DEARARCEUSWHATAMIGETTINGMYSELFINTO—_

Bede was in a daze throughout all of the advertisements. All he could think about was his impending doom as he sank deeper and deeper into the cushions of his chair.

It was a horrible, horrible feeling.

Then the movie began.

It started casual—as all horror movies do. A town where nothing bad happens, and all life is as normal as can be. Then the monster is introduced, and stuff goes down and people die in gruesome ways. It was the same formula, and he’d only been watching it for five minutes. The rest of the film was all surely dependent on anticipation and build-up.

Gloria and Bede were both watching the screen silently next to one another. One of the main characters was wandering alone in the catacombs, searching for his other friends when the “haunt” appeared—the monster of the film. Its eyes were bubbling through the cracks of the walls and teeth were climbing through the concrete, right as the main character started to run away.

Bede’s eyes were trembling on the screen, and his left knee was bobbing up and down subconsciously. Before things got more intense, he tore his eyes from the screen and let them fall onto Gloria instead—his last grasp on his sanity. As he watched her, he realized she wasn’t looking at the movie either. Her eyes, though forward, were staring off to the left side of the screen so the film was happening in her peripheral vision. Her mouth was also formed in a tight, trembling line, and her hands were gripping the arm rests as if her life depended on it.

_Is she just as scared as I am?_

Unable to ignore her, Bede placed his hand on top of hers and leaned forward a bit to speak to her. When she felt his hand, she jumped, and spun to face him. Her eyes, as suspected, were hollow—like a deer in the headlights, and there were tears threatening to form around the edges.

“Hey, are you okay?” Bede asked shakily, unable to retain his own terror as the movie produced another bloodcurdling screech.

She nodded, paused, and then violently shook her head “no”. The tears sprang up as she whimpered: “I’m scared…”

He sighed shakily, and stood up, “Then let’s leave. I’m not a fan of horror either.”

As if a massive weight had been lifted off her shoulders, Gloria’s face relaxed a tiny bit as he guided her out of the aisle. All the way to the room’s exit, Bede held her hand in his—occasionally rubbing her fingers to calm his own fear-ridden heart.

When they were outside, neither one of them spoke for a minute. They were still both shaken from the terrifying images of the film.

“So you don’t like horror, then?” Bede finally mustered, his hand still shakily holding Gloria’s.

She shook her head.

“N-no—I hate it,” she sighed.

“Then why on _earth_ would you force me to come watch it with you?”

She shuffled her feet and dug her nails lightly into Bede’s skin. It hurt a tiny bit, but he decided to let it slide because of how scared she was.

“W-well—my friends were talking about this movie _all_ the time. I just wanted to know what they were talking about—you know? But thing is, I was too scared to come by myself, so I thought I’d ask you…”

“Oh I see…” he sighed, “ _That’s_ why you were so apprehensive.”

“I thought about asking Marnie,” she went on, “But she’s already seen it—and I feel like she’d laugh because I’m a coward. And as much as I would’ve enjoyed having Hop with me, we haven’t spoken for a while, so…” she trailed off awkwardly, and Bede understood. Their friendship had been off and on ever since they had their argument.

“So you asked me.”

She nodded, and finally managed to let go of Bede’s hand.

Bede huffed in exasperation, “Well for _reference,_ I’m also a coward when it comes to horror films. In fact, thanks to you, I probably won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

She winced, and bowed her head apologetically.

Feeling guilty, Bede turned away from Gloria and they started to head towards the exit. Once outside, the two were standing awkwardly in the middle of the sidewalk, wondering silently what they should do now.

“Well…” Bede sighed, glancing around the streets, “Since we’re here, let’s do something else with the rest of our time,” he pointed to a mall district a short distance away from them, “Does that look appealing to you?”

Her eyes glinted as she stared at the buildings. She glanced at Bede with a sheepish smile, as if she were shyly agreeing with him, and he smiled back quickly to her.

“I take that as a yes.”

The two friends approached the set of stores without speaking to each other. The evening sun was barely beginning to set, casting a luminous, orange glow on the west faces of the buildings, and on the scattering of dense clouds overhead. When they stepped through the front doors, they were met with a warm gust of air, and an overpowering, pungent scent of a hundred perfumes.

Looking around, they spotted the source of the smell—a bath and soaps shop, as well as several boutiques and niche markets. Gloria stared eagerly at the different shops, silently analyzing which would fit her interests.

When she finally settled on a decision, she spun back around to face Bede, nearly brushing his face with the tips of her hair in her overzealousness.

“Let’s visit the boutique!” she declared, grinning brightly, “I’m not particularly interested in buying anything, but it’s always fun to look around.”

He shrugged, satisfied enough to just please her for the period they were together.

“Sure. Sounds good to me.”

When they stepped in, Bede wasn’t expecting to have as much fun as he did. There was something about the way she weaved in-between the shelves, excitedly putting on hats that were too big or too fancy for her tastes, that greatly amused him. She’d try on some big, flamboyant hat, flaunt it in front of him, and then return it to its spot.

At one point, she rushed off somewhere, returning only when she’d found a fluffy feather boa.

“Look, look!” she held it up, raising an eyebrow in amusement at how absurd the item was, “Think I’d look good in it?” she teased.

“You’d look good in anything.”

The words slipped out too casually. He blinked in surprise, as did she. Then she giggled and responded curtly: “You’re just being modest. I couldn’t sport this thing…”

“That’s true,” he laughed awkwardly, unsure why he had blurted out such an odd remark.

_Why did I say that?_

“ _You_ on the other hand,” Gloria said suddenly, her familiar, mischievous grin flashing across her cheeks.

She tossed the boa around Bede’s shoulders and grabbed both ends. He yelped in surprise as his neck was bombarded by the scratchy tickling of feathers, but then his breath suddenly caught. She probably didn’t mean for it to happen, but the way she had accidentally roped him with the boa, pulled his face _very_ close to her own. When she let go of the boa, she stepped back a foot to return the comfortable distance they had before—but the damage had already been done.

At least to Bede, it was.

He’d peered into her glittery eyes, and she had stolen his pulse. He could see her pores and her butterfly eyelashes, he could smell her strawberry shampoo and her cherry-scented perfume—it was a single moment that attacked all of his senses, leaving him helpless to her fiery spirit. He couldn’t breathe for a moment because his heart was thrumming like a jackhammer in his ears.

 _Gorgeous,_ was the only word he could think of when she’d finally stepped away.

She hadn’t noticed his embarrassment.

“Ha! It looks amazing on you—I knew it would!”

He blinked, returning his brain to reality for a moment. Then he finally noticed his reflection in a nearby mirror, and shook his head—grinning.

“It looks ridiculous.”

She flicked him in the forehead.

“I know.”

Though it stung a little bit where she’d flicked him, he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face; and he couldn’t figure out why. There was a light feeling—a certain joy that had suddenly sparked alive somewhere deep in his ribs. His heart was steady now, but hard and powerful with each thrum. His face was flushed to his neck and ears, and even his fingertips as he returned the boa to its spot on a nearby hanger.

His brain wasn’t functioning. He couldn’t form a single cohesive thought. When he finally turned back to Gloria, he realized that she was the only thing in the world that suddenly made sense to him.

_Wait a second._

As he followed her through the aisles, he realized what was happening to him. Not unlike the thousands of other times she’d teased him, he had lost his composure again. He’d noticed himself acting odd around her, but he had never caught himself in the act as obviously as he had just now. It almost made him mad, but he was too occupied with being foolishly bubbly about having her presence near him.

 _So weird,_ he smirked, _I just can’t be mad. I reckon I’m even enjoying myself right now—I just don’t know_ why.

As they resumed their exploration of the store, Bede managed to get his emotions under control. Though it was still a mystery how Gloria could enthrall him the way she so mischievously did, he was starting to realize he didn’t care. All that suddenly mattered, was being blissfully happy as she forced him to try on silly articles of clothing.

She returned with a beanie this time.

“Bet I can fit this over your hair!”

“Wha—no!” this time he honestly meant it, “If you stick that on my head, I’ll have hat hair for a week!”

“You’re exaggerating,” she grinned, stepping forward eagerly.

He retreated back a pace, “I’m serious—you think these curls are easy to maintain, Champion?”

She sighed, shook her head, and tossed the beanie to the side.

“Too bad. I thought you’d actually look kinda good in it.”

He raised an eyebrow curiously, “How much is it, anyway?”

She blinked, realizing she hadn’t looked.

“I dunno… probably expensive though. We’re in a boutique, after all.”

He took the beanie off the shelf and examined the price tag.

“What the—this piece of fabric is worth ₽3,800! What—is it made out of _gold_ or something!?”

Gloria whistled at the price.

“Uh… I think I’ll put this back then,” she laughed, taking the beanie from his hands.

“Yeah… and let’s stop trying stuff on at random. If that thing’s worth ₽3,800, I fear to know how much that boa was.”

“True…” she laughed, stepping down the aisle to return the hat to its proper place.

He waited for a moment for her to return, glancing quietly down at his shoes in the meantime. He shuffled his feet, crossed his arms, and then realized several minutes had passed. He looked up, and noticed she was standing frozen in the aisle with her back facing him.

 _That’s strange…_ he wondered, stepping forward, _Perhaps she’s staring off into space?_

He placed a hand on her shoulder, making her jump with surprise.

“Hey, what’s taking so lo—” he cut himself off.

Her eyes were wide again—that same look she’d given him when he touched her arm in the theater. No doubt, her mind had wandered back to the horror movie from earlier. She was pale, her eyes clouded with the flashing images of the monster.

“You alright?”

She shuddered, shook her head to clear her thoughts, and managed a faint smile, “Yeah… for a moment, I couldn’t stop thinking about the movie.”

“I figured as much…” he sighed, retrieving his arm from its place on her shoulder, “Let’s go somewhere else—take your mind off things a bit more.”

They started to walk out of the aisle, but just as they were approaching the exit to the store, the lights overhead suddenly flickered. There was a sudden: “ZZT”, and then the entire store plunged into darkness.

There were several shocked yells of surprise, but none as heart-wrenching as Gloria’s sharp, terrified inhale that he heard directly behind him. The store was suddenly very quiet, and for a whole minute, they just stood stiffly in the darkness. Bede’s eyes started to dart in fear. As much as he tried to be brave for Gloria, he couldn’t pull it off by himself. The movie was replaying before him, and suddenly he couldn’t breathe.

A pair of arms wrapped around his torso, and he almost screamed.

It was Gloria. Her trembling, shaking, terrified body was pressed tightly against his back, her arms squishing the front of him with such ferocity he almost couldn’t breathe. He heard her mouth open and she whispered two words.

“I’m scared.”

He couldn’t reject a cry as helpless and sad as that. Bede turned around, unable to let her continue suffering, and pulled her against his body. He was just as scared as she was—there was no denying it, so as much as she needed him at that moment, he also needed _her._

For the entire few minutes where the power was out, Bede and Gloria stood silently in the dark, their hearts beating furiously against one another. Neither spoke—they were too scared for that, but it was comforting enough just to know the other was still with them.

Then, after five minutes passed, the lights finally came back on.

They blinked in the sudden brightness of the room, letting their eyes focus on one another’s. It was the same feeling Bede had experienced the first time—her face too close to his, letting him admire every small detail. His heartbeat jumped again as it had the first time, but as they pulled apart, he was able to blame his antsiness on his fear of the movie rather than—whatever it was.

She just nodded quietly, her body still shaking slightly.

When she didn’t look up at him, he spoke to her.

“Gloria.”

Her eyes met him slowly, still scared as ever.

“Never again.”

When she realized he was referring to the horror movie, she nodded in agreement.

“Y-yeah. I’ve had enough fear for today.”

 _And maybe the rest of the year, too._ Bede added.

* * *

They went home shortly after the blackout incident. Bede, worried to leave Gloria in the dark, decided to ride back with her to her hotel in Wyndon via Corviknight taxi. When she stepped out, she waved to Bede, thanked him for his willingness to put up with her, and then she disappeared inside of the building.

The way back to Ballonlea was nerve-wracking.

Without Gloria’s presence, Bede was horribly alone. Memories of the movie were crawling back to the front of his mind, making him grow steadily stiffer in the silence of the cab. When the taxi finally landed, Bede tossed opened the door, thanked the man, and turned briskly towards the direction of his house. He had obtained an older home with his earnings as a gym leader, and it was located roughly to the right of the fairy gym.

When he finally thrust open the door, he was met with a frigid and stale temperature.

_Shoot I left the heater off._

Every movement from that point on was treacherous. Every step across the creaky floor made his heartrate panic. His eyes lingered on the cracks in the wood frames of the house, reminding him of the monster’s eyes seeping through the walls of the catacombs.

He shuddered and released his Pokémon.

They all met him with happy cries, but with the nerves spinning his head, all he could mutter to them was: “I’m going to bed.” Hatterene glanced at him in concern, but Bede didn’t give her a response.

His feet prickled when they met the cold tile of the bathroom. In his anxiety, he kept hallucinating things moving out of the corners of his eyes. When he had his electric toothbrush in hand, he hesitated, and then ignored the on switch. He knew that if he turned the thing on, his ears, which were severely oversensitive, would flood with the electric spinning—and it would startle him greatly.

There was a shuffle downstairs.

He spun his head, holding his toothbrush away from his mouth in an instant. His eyes found the source of the noise to be from his Sylveon, which had just leapt onto his couch in the downstairs living room.

 _Calm down,_ he soothed himself quietly, _There’s nothing here that can hurt me._

When he was in his room, he realized getting in bed would be the most difficult part of all. He dreaded the moment when the room would plunge into darkness, leaving him standing vulnerably by the door without any sort of protection or warmth.

Regardless, his hand reached for the switch, hesitated, and then flicked it off with a tiny CLICK. Before he could process he was standing in the middle of his room, Bede threw himself into his bed and drew the blankets up around his neck.

His heart was beating furiously. It was hard to breathe, but he was determined to get some rest. He needed it if he wanted to do well in his matches the next day.

He closed his eyes warily.

There was nothing but fear behind his eyelids. It was impossible to stop thinking—to stop hallucinating eyes in the corners of the room, or thin, stringy arms weaving around his various pieces of furniture. It was impossible.

His eyes flew open to scan his room, but they found it just as ordinary as when he’d closed them.

The process of opening and closing his eyes was all he dared do—all he _could_ do, as he lay stiff as a board. His covers were heating up, and he could feel his entire body sting with heat and sweat. He turned over, closed his eyes, turned back over, closed his eyes again, lay on his face, his back, his sides, his head under the blankets and his knees in the air—nothing felt safe.

He slammed on the light switch.

_I need melatonin._

Bede stood up, approached his door, but then stopped. His hand was shaking and fumbling with the doorknob, but he was too scared at the possibility of finding an imaginary row of pointed teeth awaiting him.

Defeated, he reached for his phone which he had set on the desk before he’d finished getting ready for bed. His fingers moved on their own, typing out all the letters of Gloria’s name in the search tab of his contacts list. As soon as it pulled up, he slammed his finger on the call button and waited silently on his bed for a response.

The phone rang.

“H-hello?”

Bede’s eyes widened with shock.

_Wait—why did I just call Gloria?_

“U-uh…”

_I wasn’t thinking! It’s eleven o’clock at night, for Arceus sake—she’s probably fuming mad—_

“Wait—is this Bede?” she asked, her voice trembling on the syllables of his name.

“Yeah… um—” he coughed into his fist, “I just got home a bit ago. Did you get home safe?”

“I literally just went from the elevator to my room, Bede.”

His face reddened.

“Oh yeah…”

A cascade of laughter filled the speaker, and suddenly his quivering hands started to relax. He managed a smile.

“I’m honestly glad you called…” she sighed, “I-I haven’t been able to sleep for _hours._ I even had Mimi sing for me, but I’m still awake as ever.”

Bede’s throat clenched, realizing she was likely in the same state as himself. Huddled in the center of her bed with the light on, her Eldegoss singing to her, but to no avail.

“Why did you call, anyway?”

He paused. Bede’s face lit up with embarrassment as he struggled to find a response.

 _Why_ did _I call her? It was some sort of knee-jerk response. I didn’t mean to…_

“I dunno,” he answered lamely, “I guess I just couldn’t sleep either…”

He could hear her smile on the other end of the receiver, “No more horror movies for us, then. Ha, ha…”

“Yeah… really…”

He could hear her flop down on her mattress based on the quiet thud he heard on the other end.

“Sooo, seeing as how I can’t sleep, let’s just talk for a bit. Alright?”

Bede smiled, leaning back against his bedroom wall.

“I’m down for that if you are.”

* * *

Bede awoke the next morning with a chilly breeze floating across his ankles. When he opened his eyes, he realized he had fallen asleep on top of his blankets, his phone turned off next to him.

 _Did I stay up all night talking to Gloria?_ he wondered sleepily.

Without thinking, he reached forwards and turned on his phone. His finger was halfway to the contacts list, when he suddenly halted what he was doing.

His finger trembled over the call button, but he didn’t know why. Since yesterday, he had acted impulsively over and over again—it was unlike him. His eyes, no matter what he did, kept being drawn to her figure.

 _Why have I been acting so—_ he paused, trying to understand, _so… strange? I can’t stop myself from looking at her and wanting to be around her…_

He closed his eyes on his pillow. His face was burning with heat and his heart was screaming at her image in his mind. Before he could compose himself, his Hatterene suddenly appeared in his bedroom—startling him so much, he nearly hit his head on the back wall.

“H-Hatterene!” he yelled, surprised as she teleported inside, “Good morning to you too…”

But Hatterene wasn’t smiling. There was a look of curiosity and concern flitting across her face as she stared intently at Bede.

“What is it?”

“Tern…” it mumbled, scooting closer to him, (Are you okay?)

“I’m fine,” he blinked, realizing she was analyzing his emotions again, “Just a little… flustered, I think.”

_Flustered. Is that what this is? What am I so flustered about?_

“Ter-terene? Rene rene,” (Flustered? Is that all…? You seem unwell, to me.)

“Please don’t worry about it too much,” Bede sighed, rubbing his eyes in frustration, “Whatever I’m feeling, it’ll pass.”

(But you’ve been feeling this way a lot more lately,) she complained, (Does it have something to do with Gloria?)

He blinked.

_Did I misunderstand her, or is she pestering me about Gloria?_

“Are you asking if my emotions are being caused by Gloria?”

Hatterene nodded.

His face lit up instantly, and he waved his hands furiously in denial.

“Th-that’s utterly ridiculous! Gloria and I—we’re just—she’s just—”

_Just what?_

“It’s all platonic,” he wheezed, unable to think straight, “I don’t get why she makes me embarrassed like this—she’s just good at messing with me!”

Hatterene hesitated, and then suddenly smiled sweetly at him.

“Hatternn? Ha—terene,” (Is that all? Ah—I see.)

“See… what?” he asked, slightly hoping she wouldn’t answer him.

“Terene, rene.” (You like her, Bede.)

His body froze on the spot. For a solid minute, he stared his Hatterene silently in the eyes—unable to process her words. He wondered if she had misspoken, or if he had misinterpreted her again. Though he couldn’t find the strength to move, his heartbeat climbed with each inhale. His cheeks slowly warmed, like the slow burning of a gas stove. Every passing millisecond his heartbeat thudded harder and faster, and his head rose a degree.

It was only after he felt like a living fireball, did he finally respond.

“I what?”

He didn’t hear what Hatterene said afterwards. He’d stopped looking at her, and eventually she left on her own. Bede’s eyes were as wide as he could’ve made them, nearly becoming dry as he refused to even blink for several minutes.

He stood up with a start.

His legs carried him to his dresser and he pulled out his gym uniform. He grabbed his comb and the next thing he knew, he was showered and on his way to work.

He didn’t have the time to think about it.

He didn’t _want_ to think about it.

Because there was a part of him that was scared that Hatterene was actually right.

* * *

For whatever reason, Bede had become enthralled by romance novels. On his way to work, at the train station, in the Corviknight taxis, in the cafés—he started taking them everywhere he went. It wouldn’t have made sense why he would suddenly become so interested in the idea of love, but a week since Hatterene’s announcement that Bede “liked Gloria”, he suddenly couldn’t help himself.

He wanted to know what it was like to have feelings for someone, and the only source he had to help him were the countless books he’d collected over the years.

This time, he was reading a fantasy with a romantic sub-plot. He was in the Dappled Grove of the wild area, resting in the shade of a large oak tree. It was a calm and gorgeous day—the sky a beautiful shade of aqua, and the sun flitting between bright and dim as the clouds overhead obscured it.

His Pokémon were supposed to be training a short distance away, but without Bede’s watch, they ended up just playing together. With the joyful cries of his partners serenading him, Bede resumed reading with his upmost attentiveness.

_…She smiled at him, a look of pure joy across her face as she finally declared the words: “We did it.”_

_He nodded sweetly to her, loving her more than ever in this moment, as she took the prize into her hands._

_“We certainly did.”_

_He rested his palm on her cheek, allowing her to meet his eyes fully for the first time. Then, just as he had finally gotten to appreciate her gaze, she closed them and let her lips fall open. He knew what was to happen next. It was his chance._

_Slowly, turning her chin towards his, he lowered his head closer and closer, until—_

“Bede!”

His head shot up, and he slammed the book shut. For a moment he thought he had imagined it—his subconscious imputing Gloria’s voice into the text, but that wasn’t the case. She was waving to him a few meters away, her boisterous, jolly smile stretched across her face.

He choked. It was too soon.

She ran up to him excitedly despite his internal screeching for her to back away. He wasn’t ready to face her—especially not when he was in the middle of reading a _kiss._

_Your timing couldn’t have been worse!_

When she was within talking distance, she slowed down and took a moment to catch her breath.

“Hey Bede!” she panted cheerily, “I haven’t seen you since last Friday! How have you been?”

His eyes wavered on her face, and he suddenly became glad he was sitting in the shade.

“Thanks.”

There was an awkward pause.

_Wait what did I say?_

“Pfft—” Gloria burst into laughter, sending a blazing heat across his cheeks—worse than the one that was already present, “‘Thanks’? For _what?_ Goodness you must be spacey today.”

“I-I’ve been busy. You caught me at a bad time, I didn’t—”

“I get it, I get it. You don’t interact with humans ‘cuz you’re an introvert, and then you see me and you forget how to talk. That’s happened to me too,” she giggled.

_But that’s not it…_

“So! Are you like… training out here?” she glanced at the book in his hands, “What’s that you’re reading? I’ve never seen it before—”

Acting fast, he shoved it into the folds of his backpack so she couldn’t recognize the title.

“It’s nothing,” he excused quickly, “Just a textbook.”

“A textbook? Really?” she raised an eyebrow, “Bede—I don’t even need to know you well to know you’re not the type to just _read_ textbooks. Literally no one does that. What’s the title?”

She leaned forward to peer at his bag, but he tugged it farther away from her vision.

“It’s nothing!” he shouted, his voice hiking up as she stepped too close to him for comfort.

“Aw, c’mon Bede I’m just messing with you—” but she was still grinning, trying to glance at his bag despite his obvious discomfort.

Bede’s eyes darted across her form. She was only a few feet away from him, her eyes glimmering with mischief as she sought for a glance at his book. His pulse couldn’t handle it—it was thrumming madly in his throat, twisting and wrenching his insides as his eyes took in her miraculous exquisiteness she always radiated.

_It’s too soon._

He yanked himself away from her with a quick, violent jolt and he shouted: “STOP!”

Gloria’s eyes widened in shock as he rose his voice. Though Bede had always had a short temper, it had been ages since the last time he’d shouted at Gloria with the amount of hostility he’d just given her. His reaction scared her, sending her back a few steps in disbelief.

Bede’s head was down—cheeks still flushed, and his hands were clenched and trembling around blades of grass. His knees were pulled up in front of his chest defensively, and his entire body was recoiled away from her. It was a severe overreaction, but in the moment it had been his most honest one.

She thought for a moment, that he was somehow disgusted by her.

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, clasping her hands together in discomfort.

The look on her face changed in an instant. The mischief was gone, leaving behind something that was timid and fearful. The sudden change in her mood filled Bede with guilt, but it was too late to fix the damage he’d done.

He cleared his throat.

“D-don’t—I didn’t mean to shout at you. Sorry.”

She looked up at him behind her long bangs.

“You know…” she said suddenly, placing a hand delicately below her left shoulder, “It’s been a week since we’ve talked like this.”

 _It has?_ he realized.

“I tried not to think about it too much, but after seeing you like this…” she paused, “Did I do something wrong? Is there a reason you’ve been avoiding me?”

Bede’s throat went dry. He wanted to comfort her, but it was impossible to do so when his strange feelings toward her kept getting in the way.

He sucked in a sharp breath of air and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Listen…” he said, relieving that breath with a deep sigh, “It’s not you—it’s…” he hesitated, “Well, it’s me. It’s my fault—nothing you did, but it’s _about_ you, even though you didn’t do anything at all…” he stumbled, “It um, just—just… give me time.”

She blinked at him, confused.

“I just need a week or two, and I promise I’ll be back to normal in no time, alright? It’s just—this is too soon for me. Right now. _This._ ” he made a vague gesture with his hand, but had no idea what it was supposed to mean, “Two weeks. That’s all I ask—alright?”

She glanced downwards quietly, thinking about his words.

“I don’t get it,” she said finally, looking back up at him, “but somehow I think I understand.” she nodded to him, “I’ll give you time. Two weeks. And then… can you tell me what’s wrong?”

Bede shook his head, “I’m sorry… I can’t tell you that. Not now, at least—maybe not for a few months, maybe not _ever._ ”

“Then… can you at least tell me what book you’re reading?” she asked, peeking up at him.

He stared blankly at her for a moment, then finally smiled a tiny bit.

“I can do that much.”

When she saw his smile, she returned it with her own.

“Cool,” she grinned, flashing her perfect teeth at him, “Let me know when you get out of this slump of yours then, alright? Then we can meet up with Marnie and grabs some drinks again.”

He nodded, “Sure. Funny how we keep doing that though, when neither of us drink.”

Gloria laughed sweetly, “It’s all just for fun. Besides—Marnie enjoys herself.”

“I know. Sometimes she enjoys it a little _too_ much, though.”

They both shared a quick nervous laugh, before Gloria dusted off her dress and turned to leave.

“We’ll catch up later. Don’t worry… I understand,” she nodded to him, “Later Bede.”

He pursed his lips, regretting his decision to push her away, “Later.”

Then she strode back into the woods of the Dappled Grove, and vanished from sight.

Bede sat silently for a moment, recalling their conversation in his mind. It had not gone well at all—in fact, it had gone terribly. He’d shoved her away from him without explanation, and then arbitrarily claimed he’d be recovered within two weeks.

He straightened.

_Recovered? From what?_

All of the things he’d said to her came back to the front of his memory. All the stuff he’d blathered about, with Gloria being a problem but it not being her fault—why had he said any of it? Why had he withdrawn from her so much when she appeared?

His Hatterene’s words came back—how he’d sworn she had told him: “You like her, Bede.”

Then it made sense. Bede’s sudden obsession with romance novels and all of his awkward behaviors around Gloria made sense. How he noticed her beauty, her faint expression changes, her subtle gestures and her curious Unovian accent—it made perfect sense.

He leaned against the tree, exhausted by the weight of his discovery. His eyes shrank, trembling on the branches of the tree overhead as it slowly blurred out of focus. His cheeks burned, and his pulse lodged itself into the top of his esophagus, nearly disturbing the contents of his stomach.

_Arceus._

His hand fell onto his forehead. He couldn’t breathe.

_Oh sweet Arceus._

Then Bede’s eyes closed shut, and a smile suddenly fell across his face.

“Of course I am,” he whispered.

_This is going to be quite the problem._

Then he opened his eyes again and placed his hand over his mouth—his cheeks still tight from grinning.

_This feeling of mine—it’s love, isn’t it?_


End file.
